Electromagnetic device for weft-mixing in weaving looms with drop boxes



Feb. 1, 1955 PICANOL 2,700,990

ELECTROMAGNETIC DEVICE FOR WEFT-MIXING IN WEAVING LOOMS WITH DROP BOXES Filed Sept. 27, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 1, 1955 J. PICANOL 2,700,990

ELECTROMAGNETIC DEVICE FOR WEFT-MIXING mwmvmc LOQMS wm DROP BOXES Filed Sept. 27. 1951 s Sheets-Sheet 3 M Vf/Wv/a Jamze Pic ol TI'ORMFYS J. PICANOL Feb. 1, 1955 ELECTROMAGNETIC DEVICE FOR WEFT-MIXING IN WEAVING LOOMS WITH DROP BOXES Filed Sept. 27. 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet United States Patent O ELECTROMAGNETIC DEVICE FOR WEFT-MIXING IN WEAVING LOOMS WITH DROP BOXES Jaime Picauol, Zandberg, Zillebeke-lez-Ypres, Belgium Application September 27, 1951, Serial No. 248,611

8 Claims. (Cl. 139-232) Certain types of weaving looms use two shuttles operating alternatively so that each shuttle forms two wett picks and then remains at rest while the other shuttle enters the next two picks, and so on.

This practice is found necessary in certain cases for alternating the threads of two different shuttles, especially when the uninterrupted repetition of certain characteristics, deformations or faults in the thread of one single shuttle must be avoided and which would give to the woven cloth a bad aspect.

These looms, so-called weft-mixing looms, generally have a simple shuttle box at one side of the loom and a double shuttle box at the other side, the latter being submitted to an alternative vertical displacement and called drop box.

However, the use of two shuttles presents a special problem relating to the timely actuation of the changeover device, that is to say, the device substituting in the shuttle a full bobbin for the empty bobbin therein. As known, the thread winding on the bobbin controls a feeler each time the shuttle reaches the end of its stroke at the change-over side. This feeler constitutes the two terminals of an electric contactor which controls the starting device of the change-over. The bobbin has at one end a metallic ferrule which becomes uncovered when the spool is practically empty, when only a few yards of thread remain and corresponding to at least two pick lengths. in such a loom having two shuttles, when the feeler finds a bobbin empty and initiates actuation of the changeover device, it is an inherent characteristic that said device will not actuate until after completion of four subsequent picks.

As a matter of fact, the shuttle found empty will be held, after one pick, in the drop box at the other end of the loom and its place taken by the second shuttle which will have to execute two picks before returning in said drop box, after which the first shuttle on completion of the fourth pick will reach the change-over position. At this moment only will said changeover take place to introduce in said shuttle a full bobbin and expel the empty one.

Thus, a delayed action must be had to allow the change-over only after four picks have been completed from the moment the bobbin has been found empty.

The object of the present invention, therefore is the provision of an electro-mechanical delayed-action device of the character described adapted to fulfill the objective set forth.

This device is mainly constituted of the following units: mechanism causing the changeover proper, a driving mechanism actuated by the picking shaft, an electro-mechanical device controlling the periodical engagement of said change-over mechanism by the driving mechanism and a mechanism causing periodic vertical movement of the drop box, this mechanism being also driven by said picking shaft.

in order to assure with great precision the time delay of the change-over mechanism, from the moment a bobbin has been found empty by the feeler, the device of the invention is such that said changeover mechanism is controlled by thrce locking relays.

The circuit of the first relay is closed by the feeler finding an empty bobbin; the circuit of the second relay is closed through the first relay and one of two diametrally opposed contacts closed by the picking shaft; the circuit of the third relay is closed through the first two and through a second set of two diametrally opposed 2,700,990 Patented Feb. 1, 1955 contacts closed by the picking shaft after a complete rotation from the moment it has caused the closing of the first of said diametrally opposed contacts. Thus is closed the circuit of the electromagnetic device actuating the clutch or mechanical connection between the driving device and the change-over motion. With proper timing of the relays and the elements of said mechanisms, it is easy to obtain with certainty that. the change-over will occur only after four picks from the time the feeler has detected an empty bobbin.

Other objects, characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear clearly, or be pointed out, during the description to follow, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a schematic perspective view of the essential elements of an electro-mechanical embodiment according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a similar perspective view of a second characteristic position of the mechanism for initiating the closing of the second and third relays of the circuit by means of the picking shaft.

Figure 3 shows in perspective view yet another characteristic position of the mechanism causing the engagement between the picking shaft and the change-over mechanism.

Figure 4 illustrates in perspective view a second characteristic position of the change-over mechanism, and

Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 are diagrammatic representations of the characteristic successive phases of the electromechanical device of the invention.

The embodiment according to the invention can, for example, be substantially executed as follows: on the picking shaft 1 is mounted a disc 2 a part 3 of which is toothed and the remaining contour smooth. The toothed segment 3 is adapted to mesh with a pinion i mounted on a secondary shaft 5 journalled, for example, in lateral supports 6-7. On said secondary shaft 5 is mounted an eccentric 8 rotatably mounted in one end of a connecting rod 9 pivoted at 10 on a lever 11. The shaft 12 of said lever is carried, for example, by the lateral support 6 and the free end 13 of the lever is connected by the clevis'pin 14 to a rod 15 actuating the dual shuttle box 16-17. On the upper part of the connecting rod 9 rests a roller 18 terminating a rod 19 extending outwardly from a double contactor 20. Both contact sets 21-42 are diametrally opposed and each controls the circuit of a locking relay 23--24, respectively, after one rotation and two rotations of the picking shaft, from the time the feeler has detected an empty bobbin. The picking shaft 1 is also provided with a second disc 25 formed with an arcuate groove 26 milled on its periphery. This disc cooperates with a lock disc 27 secured on the secondary shaft 5. This lock disc has two end convex faces, of the same curvature as that of the groove 26, and two lateral concave faces of the same diameter as that of said disc 25.

Finally, the picking shaft 1 carries an eccentric 28 resting within the hooked end of a bell crank lever 29 pivoted over the axis 30. The vertical. arm 31 of this crank is profiled at its free end to form a bevelled notch 32 and a heel 33. This crank 29 and, more particularly the vertical arm 31, cooperate with a latch rod 34 pivoted at one end at 35 to the free extremity of an arm 36 mounted on a shaft 37 loosely journalled in the lateral supports 38--39. The latch rod 34 is normally kept out of the oscillating trajectory of the heel 33 by an extension 40 of the armature 41 of an electro-magnet 42 the armature head 43 of which is urged upwardly by a return spring (not shown). The latch rod 34 and heel 32 constitute a clutching device for transmitting the motion of the bell crank lever 23 to the shaft 37. The arm 36 has a pin 44 adapted to contact the push-button 45 of an electric switch 46. On the shaft 37 is secured a second arm 47 to which is pivoted a rocker 48, an arm 49 of said rocker being approximately parallel with the free end of the arm 47 to form therewith a yielding fork embracing a stud 50 projecting laterally from a bent lever 51 pivoted at 52; the other arm 53 of said rocker is constantly urged by a return spring 54.

The bent lever 51 is slotted at its free end as a fork 55 for the control of the correct shuttle position before a change-over operation. The same lever 51 carries laterally a trip finger 56 engageable with the trip pin 57 of pawl 58, freely pinned at 59 to the lower end of an arm 60 oscillatable around the pivot 61. The free end 62 of said arm is so disposed as to extract a full bobbin from the magazine and, at the proper moment, to drive it nearly instantaneously in the shuttle while expelling the empty bobbin. The pawl 58 is constantly urged in elevated position by a spring 63. So raised, said pawl 53 occupies a position in the path of the stop 64 of the batten 65 whereby said pawl 58 constitutes the trip portion of the changeover mechanism. On the change-over side of the loom is also disposed a feeler 66, of known type, intended to close electric contacts when its two electrodes, passing through the corresponding wall of the shuttle, detect a bobbin which is empty. The contact closed by said feeler 66 controls the circuit of a third locking relay 67. The

various relays 232467 and the electric circuits inherent thereto are housed in a small hermetically sealed casing 68 which is thus in electric relation with contacts 20, the contacts 46, the electro-magnet 42 and the feeler 66. The operation of the electromagnetic device so obtained is to be understood as follows: if. as diagrammed in Figure 5 the device is in the position corresponding to the normal course of a shuttle, the terminals of the feeler 66 are not shorted and the whole electric circuit of the installation remains open. Therefore, the electro-magnet 42 not being excited, its spring-urged armature holds the latch 34 out of the trajectory of the crank 29-31, thus isolating the change mechanism from its driving means. On the contrary, if a bobbin is detected empty by the feeler 66, the terminals of the latter are shorted by the metallic ferrule of the bobbin, which however has a willcient thread reserve left to permit the completion of two more picks; the feeler 66 therefore closes the circuit of the locking relay 67. The picking shaft 1 driving the disc 2, the toothed section thereof meshes with the pinion 4 and causes the oscillation of the rod 19 to close the first set 21 of the two contact sets of the double contactor 20. Thus is closed the circuit of the second locking relay 23. The picking shaft, continuing its rotation causes. after one rotation, a new engagement of the pinion 4 and, hence, an oscillation in reverse of the rod 19 and the closing of the second contact set 22 of the double contactor 20. In this manner the circuit of the third locking relay 24 has been closed. At this juncture the electric circuit of the electromagnet 42 is closed. which sets the rod 34 free to drop automatically in front of the heel 33 oscillatable. as already described. by the pickingshaft 1. The latch 34 being thus impelled moves the arm 36 and the shaft 37, which shaft displaces arcuately the second arm 47 it supports. The arm 47 oscillating upwardly carries with it the spring-pressed arm 49 pushing the stud 50. thus oscillating forward the lever 51. Said lever movement releases the pawl 58 which is thus placed in the path of the stop 64. whereby the batten 65 will oscillate the arm 60 to initiate the action of the change-over as previously explained.

However, it should be noted that between the detection of the empty bobbin until the changeover has been competed, four picks have been made. In fact. from this moment, one pick has been necessarv to produce the first meshing of the toothed section 3 with the pinion 4. that is: the closing of the first contact set 22 of the contactor closing the circuit of the relay 23; therefore. a complete rotation of the picking shaft had to occur (two picksl. before causing the second meshing of the segment 3 with pinion 4 and the corres onding closing of the second contact set of contactor 20 and the resulting closin of the circuit of the third relav 24. Finally, another pick had to occur to actuate the bell-crank 29-31 and the release of the pawl 58 into the path of batten stop 64. After said batten completes tis fourth pick the change can occur.

The electric switch 46 is normally closed and completes the armature circuit of the locking relay 67. At the end of the pivotal movement of arm 36, that is after the bobbin change-over has occurred, the pin 44 abuts the push button 45 which opens the contacts of switch 46. The armature of relay 67 becomes deenergized thereby opening the circuits of the relays 23 and 24 and of the electromagnet 42 whereby the complete electric circuit takes the open position shown in Figure 5, ready for a new cycle of operations.

It must be understood that various changes as to the shape size and arrangement of parts, as well as equivalent (ill circuit modifications, can be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

l. A control for bobbin change-over in weft-mixing looms having a picking shaft making one revolution for two picks and a batten, said control comprising a bobbin change-over mechanism having a trip portion, a mechanism actuated by the picking shaft and adapted to place the trip portion of the change-over mechanism in position engageable by the batten, a clutching device between said two mechanisms, and an electro-magnetic arrangement for actuating said clutching device, the electric circuit of said arrangement including a feeler for detecting empty bobbins in the shuttles on the change-over side of the loom, a locking relay controlled by the feeler, a pair of locking relays the circuits of which are controlled through the first relay and through two contacts closable by the picking shaft. respectively after one and two turns of said picking shaft after the closing of the first relay, said electro-magnetic arrangement operable upon closing of all three relays to actuate said clutching device, whereby the change-over mechanism is actuated after two revolutions of the picking shaft, that is: four picks after one bobbin has been found empty.

2. A control for bobbin change-over in weft-mixing looms having a drop box, a picking shaft making one revolution for two picks, a batten and dual-shuttles, said control comprising a bobbin change-over mechanism hav ing a trip portion, a mechanism controlled by the picking shaft adapted to place the trip portion of said change-over mechanism in position engageable by the batten, a clutching device between said two mechanisms, and an electromagnetic arrangement for actuating said clutching device, said arrangement including in its circuit a feeler for detecting empty bobbins on the change-over side of the loom, a locking relay having its circuit controlled by the feeler. a pair of locking relays having their circuits controlled through the first relay and two contacts, said contacts being closablc by means operated by the picking shaft, said contacts being thus closed after one and two revolutions respectively of said shaft after the closure of the first relay, said eleetro-magnetic arrangement operable upon closing of all three relays to actuate said clutching device,

whereby the change-over mechanism is actuated four picks after a bobbin has been detected empty by the feeler.

3. A control for bobbin change-over in weft-mixing weaving looms having dual shuttles, drop box, picking shaft, batten and shuttle feeler for detecting empty bobbins, said control comprising a mechanism actuating the change-over from one bobbin to another and having a trip portion, a mechanism controlled by the picking shaft operable to place the trip portion of the change-over mechanism in position to be engaged by the batten. a toothed segment mounted on the picking shaft, a pinion periodically engageable by said segment, a shaft supporting the pinion and movable therewith, an eccentric mounted on said pinion shaft, a disc secured to the picking shaft and having an arcuate groove milled in its periphery, a lock disc on the pinion shaft co-operable with the picking shaft disc and groove thereof, said lock disc presenting a pair of opposed lateral convex surfaces of the same diameter as that of the grooved disc and end concave surfaces of the same curvature as that of the groove, a clutching device between the change-over mechanism and the controlling mechanism therefor, and an electro-magnetic arrangement for actuating said clutching device said arrangement including a circuit connecting the feeler, a locking relay controlled by said feeler, two locking relays controlled by the first relay and by two contacts closablc by a roller resting on the eccentric of the pinion shaft, whereby the closing of said contacts is effected, respectively after one and two revolutions of the picking shaft after the closure of the first relay and the locking of said contacts in closed position by engagement of the grooved and lock discs, said electro-magnetic arrangement operable upon closing of all three relays to actuate said clutching device. the change-over mechanism being thus operative a predetermined number of revolutions of the picking shaft after the feeler has detected an empty bobbin.

4. A control for bobbin change-over in weft-mixing dual-shuttle weaving looms having a drop box, a picking shaft making one revolution for two picks, a batten and an empty bobbins detecting feeler, said control comprising a bobbin change-over mechanism having a trip portion, an

eccentric mounted on the picking shaft, a bell crank hooked to co-operate with said cam at one end, a latch rod co-operable with the free end of the crank for placing the trip portion of the change-over mechanism in operative position to be actuated by the batten, and an electromagnet for controlling the position of the latch rod, said electro-magnet including in its circuit the feeler, contacts, and relays and means actuated by said picking shaft to successively close said contacts and relays which in turn energize said electro-magnet such that the change-over mechanism is actuated only after two complete revolutions of said picking shaft or after four picks have been completed from the time a bobbin has been detected empty by the feeler.

5. A control for bobbin change-over in weft-mixing dual shuttle looms having drop box, a feeler for detecting empty bobbins, a picking shaft making one revolution for two picks, and a batten, said control comprising an actuating mechanism including an eccentric mounted on the picking shaft, and a bell crank having one end hooked around said eccentric, a bobbin change-over mechanism including a trip portion, a loose shaft, an arm on said loose shaft, a latch rod pivoted to said arm co-operating with the notched free end of the crank, a second arm on said shaft, a rocker suspended to said second shaft and having two arms, a spring urging one arm, the other arm co-operating with the second shaft arm to form therewith a yielding fork, an oscillating lever controlling the position of the trip portion of the change-over mechanism for engagement by the batten, and a stud mounted on said lever and engaged by the yielding fork, and an electro-magnet controlling the position of the latch rod, said electro-magnet having in its circuit the feeler, contacts and relays, and means actuated by said picking shaft to successively close said contacts and relavs which in turn energize said electromagnet such that the change-over mechanism be actuated only after four picks have been completed from the time a shuttle bobbin has been detected empty by the feeler.

6. In a control for bobbin change-over in weft-mixing looms having dual shuttles, a drop box, a feeler for detecting empty shuttle bobbins, a picking shaft and a batten, a bobbin changeover mechanism comprising an oscillating lever, a pawl carried at one end of said lever, a spring urging said pawl in the path of a stop carried by the batten, a trip pin on said pawl, a second Oscillating lever, a trip finger on said lever engageable with the trip pin, a stud on said second lever, an oscillating arm carrying a spring-urged rocker forming with said arm a yielding fork embracing the stud, a second arm oscillatable in synchronism with the first named arm, a latch rod at the end of said second arm, an electromagnetic device controlling said latch rod, and a driving mechanism actuated by the picking shaft, whereby the change-over mechanism is actuated only after the completion of four picks from the time a bobbin has been detected empty.

7. In a control for bobbin change-over in weft-mixing weaving looms having plural shuttles, a drop box, empty bobbin feeler, a picking shaft and a batten, a bobbin change-over mechanism having a trip portion, a mechanism controlled by the picking shaft adapted to place the trip portion of the change-over mechanism in position to be actuated by the batten, a clutching device between said two mechanisms and actuated by an electro-magnetic arrangement, three locking relays one of which is controlled by the feeler and the others by means of contacts, an eccentric closing said contacts in succession periodically actuated by the picking shaft, said electro-magnetic ar rangement being actuated upon closing of all three relays to actuate said clutching device a predetermined number of turns of the picking shaft from the time a bobbin has been detected empty by the feeler.

8. In a control for bobbin change-over in weft-mixing weaving looms having plural shuttles, a drop box, an empty bobbin feeler, a picking shaft and a batten, a mechanism controlling the bobbin change-over and having a trip portion, a mechanism controlled by the picking shaft and adapted to place the trip portion of the change-over mechanism in position to be actuated by the batten, and a clutching device between said two mechanisms and actuated by an electro-magnetic mechanism including the bobbin feeler, a locking relay controlled by said feeler, a double contactor actuated by means driven by the picking shaft, two locking relays controlled respectively by the double contactor, an electro-magnet controlling the clutching device and actuated by the closing of all three relays, and a switch actuated on the return stroke of an element in the change-over mechanism to de-energize said three relays, whereby said change-over occurs only after the completion of a predetermined number of turns of the picking shaft subsequent to the time a bobbin has been 0 detected empty by the feeler.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

